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Why does dance music get such a huge backlash... like always?

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R

Rocket Punch

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It seems every time there is a dance wave there is a huge tide of backlash that follows it. I love dance music! Everything from disco to synth pop to new wave to house. It comes and then boom, it is gone, like forever.

Rock on the other hand never goes away. Maybe it's just me but I don't think so. It's easy to roll your eyes to a dance tune whereas rock is kinda timeless. Anyone feel the same?
 
I don't "listen" to dance music per se, I dance to it, choreograph to it, teach to it, or perform to it. It's really not something I enjoy unless I feel the need to become physically motivated for something. If my friends and I are headed to a club or just chatting while driving, it's nice to have some filler music in the background. Nothing wrong with it, though. You're right about the backlash -- even on this forum, a few people seem to hate it with a passion because it offers nothing more than just a catchy beat. Peh :)
 
i'm assuming that what you refer to as "dance music" encompases electronic music as well. Fact is, most of what's spun in clubs is crap. It's basically dance fodder to accompany whatever alcohol and/or drugs you're consuming. Seeing as how no real electronic music gets major radioplay in the US, and most people's exposure to it is in clubs, i can see part of the lack of popularity. It's kinda ironic because i see modern pop music as electronic music with lyrics, adn both genres usually aren't really meant to be taken too seriously.

Personally, i love electronic music. i see it as more pure and functional in a sense than some other forms of music. The lack of intentional lyrics puts the focus on the melody, rhythm, and progression. It's the kind of music i listen to to control my mood. i'll play something driving (like the Ridge Racer V OST i'm listening to now) when i need to work hard, or something more mellow (Hefner, Kid Loco, the stuff on Flaresound's Housemusique program) when i want to chill.

But to get back to your original question, was there ever really a backlash when it comes to modern "dance music"? 2 Unlimited's "Ready For This" got played (and overplayed), people listened to Prodigy's "Fat of the Land" and that annoying "Da Bo Dee" track by Eiffel 65 and realised they loved "techno", and then any semblance of the genre just fell of the popular music charts. i don't think there was any backlash.
 
Dance/techno/electronic always comes and goes...seems to be the nature of the music.

Most of the stuff I hear makes me vomit...can't stand Effiel's shit, and Daft Punk's One More Time was absolutely nasueating. But there's some other stuff I've heard that I really like...some stuff from DJ Sasha and Chemical Brothers for instance. The stuff I do like, I really like a lot. Personally it's no less a legit form of music then anything that uses solely instruments. It's simply a different flavour and style.
 
I think the majority of good dance music is too avant garde for mainstream America... people say to me... what the hell, this song is 10 minutes long! Or they complain how every song sounds the same. But if you don't like a genre, every song sounds exactly the same. Or they don't like how they can't sing along to it cuz there's no lyrics.

Popular dance music gets played every now and then around here in LI/NYC, the guidos seem to go ape shit for any sort of house song with wailing divas (like Kristine W or Lasgo)... I don't know how the situation is in other parts of the country, in Buffalo I didn't even hear the more poppy house stuff. That's why I have satellite radio, I can at least hear good music on it.

*goes back to listening to some Terminalhead*
 
Backlash? Hah. That would require people to listen to it in the first place.

aoi tsuki made a lot of good points, but I'd also like to point out the influence of the business side on our musical "tastes," at least in America. (I imagine it's similar in other places as well.)

Music marketing thrives on LABELS, and one of the huge problems with "dance" music is that it is REALLY lacking a set of consistent labels. For one thing, what do you call the music to begin with? Not all electronic music is meant to be danced to (late-career Aphex Twin, anyone?), or even necessarily has its basis in rhythm at all (some Boards of Canada, Brian Eno). The record companies tried to invent the term "electronica" a decade ago, but that's ALSO misleading. Many songs are constructed from "real" instruments, or from samples of other genres of music, or both...and, oh yeah, doesn't the technology applied to "rock" music (synthesizers, sampling, editing multiple takes into a master version, software to adjust vocal pitch, etc.) make it "electronic" too?

One level down, the problem gets worse. You might be able to describe an artist as making "house" music, but what does THAT mean? Aside from a reliance on a 2/4 rhythm, house music can sound wickedly different. Try playing Miguel Migs, early-career BT, and Matthew Dear back-to-back, and watch the confused look on the face of your audience. And what kind of label do you apply to someone like Squarepusher, who can have a completely different sound from album to album...or even within the SAME album.

Radio used to mean something to somebody, and maybe it still does...fuck if I know. The classic "single" was no more than four minutes long with a catchy hook (riff, chorus, memorable lyric), and it had to fit into a genre cleanly since radio stations are divided by genre. What do you do with a seven-minute track which builds up slowly, has no vocals whatsoever (Ulrich Schnauss), and doesn't fit into your local "alternative rock," "classic rock," "oldies," or "hip-hop" station?

Finally, one level up from dealing with HOW to market the music, consider the fact that most marketing is done by the big record companies. But are they even involved here? Small producers can get by doing DJ gigs and selling 12" at their local record store, and with the advent of the internet and CD-Rs, music can spread even more quickly. One guy or girl alone with a decent computer and some special equipment can create entire albums -- you no longer need the enslavement of needing a "record deal and studio time" to make it happen.
 
djtiesto said:
I think the majority of good dance music is too avant garde for mainstream America... people say to me... what the hell, this song is 10 minutes long! Or they complain how every song sounds the same. But if you don't like a genre, every song sounds exactly the same. Or they don't like how they can't sing along to it cuz there's no lyrics.

Popular dance music gets played every now and then around here in LI/NYC, the guidos seem to go ape shit for any sort of house song with wailing divas (like Kristine W or Lasgo)... I don't know how the situation is in other parts of the country, in Buffalo I didn't even hear the more poppy house stuff. That's why I have satellite radio, I can at least hear good music on it.

*goes back to listening to some Terminalhead*
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Heh, guidos.
 
djtiesto said:
I think the majority of good dance music is too avant garde for mainstream America... people say to me... what the hell, this song is 10 minutes long! Or they complain how every song sounds the same. But if you don't like a genre, every song sounds exactly the same. Or they don't like how they can't sing along to it cuz there's no lyrics.

Popular dance music gets played every now and then around here in LI/NYC, the guidos seem to go ape shit for any sort of house song with wailing divas (like Kristine W or Lasgo)... I don't know how the situation is in other parts of the country, in Buffalo I didn't even hear the more poppy house stuff. That's why I have satellite radio, I can at least hear good music on it.

*goes back to listening to some Terminalhead*
Click to expand...

:lol @ Guidos. But it is true, though. I don't like dance music too much -- I much prefer club hip-hop instead; I crave the bass.
 
Blah. Nothing's changed in "Dance / Electronic" music... it's been thriving since forever. All scenes are healthy, from Techno, to House and Electro. Detroit is still strong, The Dutch scene is hugely active and producing brilliant stuff etc. If you're talking of "backlash", then you must be tuning into the wrong channels.

I crave the bass.
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There's enough bass in most good dance oriented music to make that "club-hop" stuff blush.
 
Ill Saint said:
Blah. Nothing's changed in "Dance / Electronic" music... it's been thriving since forever. All scenes are healthy, from Techno, to House and Electro. Detroit is still strong, The Dutch scene is hugely active and producing brilliant stuff etc. If you're talking of "backlash", then you must be tuning into the wrong channels.


There's enough bass in most good dance oriented music to make that "club-hop" stuff blush.
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The bass is way too quick in most songs and the "pop" factor is painful. In dance, I prefer the thumping/pumping bass songs like Gwen Stefani's "What You Waiting For", any f-in Benny Benassi song, Darude (I love Sandstorm, and etc.) and other songs along the lines. I'm trying to think of what dance songs I don't like, but I can't because I'm listening to The Music, so I'm distracted. :P
 
Heard Miami Bass / Cocadisco / La Haia Bass? Insane.
But really, stuff like Gwen Stefani (didn't you say the "pop" factor was painful? :) ) and Benny Benassi (who should be shot, heh) are not great examples. Sure they've got the standard 4/4 kick drum, but their production is always thin and too clean. Not enough bass, in my opinion, and absolutely soulless.
 
huzkee said:
It seems every time there is a dance wave there is a huge tide of backlash that follows it. I love dance music! Everything from disco to synth pop to new wave to house. It comes and then boom, it is gone, like forever.
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The Nutcracker is very old, as are all of Stravinsky's ballets and Ravel's ballets etc. So you're not quite right :)
 
Electronica, not to be confused with dance music, is my favorite genre.

Go listen to some Four Tet, M83 and Boards Of Canada and tell me it's not good stuff.

It gets even better if you start including some of it's sub-genres with artists like DJ Shadow, RJD2 and Prefuse 73.
 
Electronic is itself a sub-genre, and a relatively new one at that. But genre splicing gets stupid, for much of the reasons -jinx- points out. It all came from Dance / Disco anyway...

But who cares? I don't. As long it's got soul and funk.
 
You know what this thread is missing? The catchphrase of all club catchphrases...
 
i listen to dance music when im drunk at a club. And even then its nto by choice. I can't see the point in listening to that shit while im driving or sitting at home.
 
AlphaSnake said:
CULO!
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marvalbert.jpg

YESH!!!
 
I really don't consider hip hop part of the dance scene per se. It's derived primarily from R&B roots moving into pop territory. What I mean is that dance music/electronica/techno music is not viewed by the mainstream and critics as anywhere near the same realm as rock music.

Even on this thread, people saying it's not really music and what not. I can understand partially the reasons why to a point. A beat and a groove are the main attractions to dance music but every once in a while there's a song that comes along and makes me feel... elated. Something that a rock song never has. I like rock a whole lot, don't get me wrong. But I must admit that while I do enjoy rock I prefer electronic/dance music overall.

I think it has to do with the fact that electronic based music is, in and of itself, artificially made with keyboards and synths whereas rock uses more traditional and orthodox instruments of composition. I do think that outside of underground scenes dance music has a hard time being recognized in the same manner as all other kinds of music. That's basically my point.
 
I like Dance music, I don't like most of it enough to buy cds and stuff, but I do like having it on in the background though. My two favs are that "give me the moneyshot" mix and that other weird wierd one that mixes dog barking noises with Tears "Shout" lyrics. Those two songs always produce the craziest wtf looks from my friends. Ghetto-tech is godly though, I could listen to that stuff all day and sometimes I do.
 
I heard about that Rio Funk stuff, kinda depressing really, still sounds good though. I'm also searching around for some more good ghetto-tech. Disco D is another awesome one I like.
 
Well, being a dance music producer myself, the one thing about the genre that I've always loved was its ability to take you anywhere you want to go musically. The best producers will challenge the listener with well placed breakdowns, buildbacks, etc. which can make a simple track amazing. I know, broken record on these forums but, you have to do your research to find cutting edge stuff out there. And yeah, don't expect the best songs to come from one artist (Rolling Stones, Beatles Compilations), but from a collection of dozens.

Ironically, House is what I listen to now when I'm playing Outrun 2, and what a difference your own prefered music can do to enchance your gaming experience. Everything seems to just flow better, and I find myself completing my challenges easier as well.

Yeah, dance has gotten a bad bad rap due to drug ODs and such, but that's more about people's vices, and not the music itself. If music was the culprit, there should be a lot more school shootings happening with the hiphop generation.
 
I think the reason why dance music isnt popular in america is because it's not in the record labels best interest for it to catch on. Meaning they cant easily categorize it, package it, sell it and make tons of money off of it. To the people saying "dance music" cant be listened to at home or isnt real music. Go listen to some (deep house) Blaze, Masters At Work, 95 north, Kings of Tommorrow, etc. and try and make the argument its not real music.
 
Dance music: I hate listening to it on my computer, I like it in the car, I love it in the club.

Btw has anyone listened the "Call on me" song? It repeats for 3-4 just this: "Call on meeeeeeee, call on me, Call on meeeeeeee, call on me, Call on meeeeeeee, call on me.....". First time I listened to it on the radio I thought the cd was broken or something.
 
I don't care...even when I'm 50 I'll still be fighting for Freeform!

I'm thinking of starting up a pirate radio station in Calgary...just because I heard one in Edmonton. It had trance-crap...I want to do hardcore, freeform, happy hardcore, jungle, dnb, and I think I'll throw in some punk for good measure.

Alphasnake said:
But it is true, though. I don't like dance music too much -- I much prefer club hip-hop instead; I crave the bass.
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How about jungle/dnb? My friend's got a Britney Spear's Toxic bootleg...it's saweet. Crazy bassline with the usual blow out your brains and take the air out of your lungs bass on that one. I'll see if I can get it on an mp3 clip.
 
huzkee:

> It seems every time there is a dance wave there is a huge tide of backlash that follows it.

That's because electronic pop acts have a short life. The mainstream doesn't like music that's too hard, too complicated and lacks vocals. But the kind of music that does make it into the charts get's old really fast. That goes for most hit music.

> Rock on the other hand never goes away.

Neither will electronic music. But tell me, how much real rock do you see on the charts today? I mean, actual rock tunes and not white wannabe rappers doing their stuff to some noisy bass guitar.

Real rock exists in the underground and in the hearts of those who lived when real rock was popular. The same goes for electronic music.
 
Disco (after it went way into commercial mainstream America) received a huge backlash. Disco did not die out in Italy, France, et al. as it did in America. Thus, there is something called Ithalo and groups such as Daft Punk from, I believe, France. Dance music had to ride the outskirts in other countries for a good while, and now it resurfaces in many evolved forms. Most people are not ready for it, and many don't understand.


Those that can understand, say, house music, are more liberated in their souls. They can get down and groove. My girlfriend listens to primarily country and folk music. She doesn't listen to electronic dance music yet on her own accord. She may never. One thing she does like is to see me groove to my music. She tells me it's hot to watch me dance. When someone can understand and then feel the flow, that's when they understand the premise of "disco," "house music" "d n b," "down tempo," "progressive," and other genres of electronic dance music. It's all about communicating feeling. That's what most music should do--emote.

Oddly enough, I believe country music and electronic dance music have that in common. Country and folk artists are good at capturing a feeling. Dance music does that same thing in a different way with being not entirely vocal and lyrical.
 
It's not like the majority of people are even exposed to proper house music in the first place. It's such an underground culture, part of the appeal is having to SEARCH for the good music. Most of the best music is on white label or is pressed in limited amounts, so unless you dig for live sets and follow tracklistings, you wont hear the dope shit. Thats great in my opinion.
 
Dance music isnt what I would listen to at home when I want to relax or when Im at the gym. If Im at home I would rather listen to U2 or some R&B, but if Im at a party or a club, its the opposite, its better to listen to dance music. There was someone a while back on GAF who said its better to listen to Tool at a club! How exactly do you dance to Tool?!?!?
 
Also, a lot of dance music sounds completley different when it's banging over a huge system. Many records are produced where they sound so-so on your computer speakers or whatever, but in a club it's a tottaly different story. I actually will sometimes pass up on records I hear online, but then Ill hear someone play them in a club and go back and pick it up.
 
This seems to happen the most in 'dance' music, but I can't stand when the 'artist' finds 10 seconds of a cool sound beat, and realizing how cool it is, repeat it, with no variation, for 10 minutes! Music I really enjoy never sits still for long.
 
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